Casinos Coming to Myrtle Beach?

Think you're great at blackjack? Wish Myrtle Beach had casinos, so you could try your luck? If State Representatives Bakari Sellers and Boyd Brown (both Democrats) have their way, we might have casinos in Myrtle Beach sooner rather than later.

Brown and Seller introduced a bill earlier this year that is gaining some ground and may be discussed in the state legislature early next year. The bill would allow individual S.C counties to decide what type of gambling operations they would permit, and if they would like any gambling at all. If the bill gets passed, it would then be up the Horry County Council to decide whether or not casinos would be allowed in Myrtle Beach. Brown and Sellers believe that legalized gambling could be the answer to South Carolina’s budget problems and high unemployment, as gambling could bring in up to $1 billion in revenue and create thousands of new jobs. "We need to look at other ways to generate revenue without taxing the citizens of South Carolina," Brown told the Sun News. "If a county doesn't want it, they don't have to have it."

Not all South Carolina politicians are on board with the bill. Many Republicans have come out saying they have no interest in bringing gambling to South Carolina. They argue it would ruin the family-friendly atmosphere the state has going for it and that the public would be against gambling. The state already allows lottery tickets to be sold, and Little River’s casino boats are allowed because they sail out three miles into international waters where it is legal to gamble.

So are casinos a good or bad idea for Myrtle Beach?